Ohio secretary of state forming LLC [Must-Know Tips]

Last updated : Aug 15, 2022

How do you set up an LLC in the state of Ohio?

1. Name Your Ohio LLC.
2. Choose Your Statutory Agent.
3. Check If Your Ohio LLC Needs a Business or Vendor's License.
4. Prepare and File Articles of Organization.
5. Receive a Certificate From the State.
6. Create an Operating Agreement.
7. Get an Employer Identification Number.

What does it cost to form an LLC in the state of Ohio?

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Ohio? The Ohio Secretary of State charges a $99 fee to file the Articles of Organization. It will cost $39 to file a name reservation application if you wish to reserve your LLC name prior to filing the Articles of Organization.

Where do I file for an LLC in Ohio?

Businesses are required to register with the Ohio Secretary of State to legally conduct business in the State of Ohio. Businesses can file electronically via the Secretary of State's Ohio Business Filings portal.

How do I form an LLC for free in Ohio?

1. Step 1: Choose a name for your LLC.
2. Step 2: Appoint a statutory agent.
3. Step 3: Check if you need an Ohio business license.
4. Step 4: File articles of organization.
5. Step 5: Draft an LLC operating agreement.
6. Step 6: Comply with employer obligations.
7. Step 7: Pay Ohio business taxes.

Do you need a lawyer to start an LLC in Ohio?

A common question that many aspiring small business owners have is whether they actually need to hire an attorney to form the business entity they desire, more commonly these days, the LLC. Well, the short answer is no.

How long does it take to get an LLC in Ohio?

You can get an LLC in Ohio in 2-3 business days if you file online (or 2-3 weeks if you file by mail). If you need your Ohio LLC faster, you can pay for expedited processing.

Do you have to pay a yearly fee for an LLC Ohio?

The Ohio Secretary of State doesn't require you to file any annual information form or pay any annual fee for your LLC. Ohio is one of only 5 states that have a true “No Annual Report Due”. In Ohio, there is no money owed annually to the Secretary of State and there is no Information Report to submit.

Do you have to renew your LLC Every year in Ohio?

Business entities in Ohio are not required to file an annual report. However, certain types of entities and registrations are required to file reports at different intervals.

How do I form a single member LLC in Ohio?

You create an Ohio SMLLC by filing Articles of Organization with the Ohio Secretary of State. To complete the articles you'll need to provide the official name of your new SMLLC, the name and address of the SMLLC's statutory agent, the agent's signature accepting appointment, and a few other basic details.

Does an LLC need a business license in Ohio?

An LLC must obtain all the licenses required to legally conduct business in Ohio. These licenses will vary depending on the business and its location, but might include a vendor license, industry- or profession-related licenses, and licenses required by local governments.

Does an LLC pay taxes in Ohio?

State Business Taxes By default, LLCs themselves do not pay federal income taxes, only their members do. Ohio, however, has a Commercial Activity Tax that applies to most Ohio business entities including LLCs. The tax is based on gross receipts for your business and is calculated at a small series of marginal rates.

Do I have to put LLC on my logo in Ohio?

No, you do not have to put LLC in your logo or in any of your marketing materials. There is no legal or regulatory requirement to put “LLC” in your logo. Putting “LLC” in your logo does not provide any additional legal protection for your business.

CAN YOU GET LLC in Ohio online?

You can form an Ohio LLC online or by submitting Form 610, Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company. Out-of-state LLCs can register their business in Ohio online or by filing Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company.

Does an LLC need an EIN?

An LLC will need an EIN if it has any employees or if it will be required to file any of the excise tax forms listed below. Most new single-member LLCs classified as disregarded entities will need to obtain an EIN. An LLC applies for an EIN by filing Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number.

How much does an EIN cost in Ohio?

Applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a free service offered by the Internal Revenue Service. Beware of websites on the Internet that charge for this free service.

Can an LLC own property in Ohio?

LLCs are the most popular structure for real estate businesses in Ohio. That's because starting and running a limited liability company (LLC) is simple and offers important benefits. LLCs can protect your personal assets (car, house, savings) if your real estate business is sued.

WHAT ARE LLC requirements?

• Business Name. Your LLC must have a name that is unique and is not the same or confusingly similar to another business.
• Registered Agent.
• Operating Agreement.
• Articles of Organization.
• Business Licenses and Permits.
• Statement of Information Form.
• Tax Forms.

How do I get an EIN number in Ohio?

Registration information as well as forms are available online or at (877) SOS-FILE. 2. Obtain a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). Contact the Internal Revenue Service to learn additional information and an online application at IRS.gov(opens in a new window) - search "EIN."

Where is the cheapest place to get an LLC?

• Iowa — LLC Filing fee: $50.
• Montana — LLC Filing fee: $50.
• Utah — LLC Filing fee: $70.
• California — LLC Filing fee: $70.
• Delaware — Filing fee: $90.
• Indiana — Filing fee: $95.

How do you start a LLC company?

1. Decide on a Business Name.
2. Designate a Registered Agent.
3. Get a Copy of Your State's LLC Article of Organization Form.
4. Prepare the LLC Article of Organization Form.
5. File the Articles of Organization.
6. Create an Operating Agreement.
7. Keep Your LLC Active.

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Write a comment

hey i'm drew from th3 cpa we created a guide for individuals or people who are launching a new business who are wanting to form an llc as a partnership or as an individual just briefly on how to do that yourself so this isn't legal advice this is not business structure advice as to what you should do but if you want to launch an llc this is how you do it by yourself we just seen too many clients overcharged paying for things that are very simple to do on their own especially getting started up just to reduce costs it's it's hard to make mistakes on this if you uh follow just the steps there to get your new llc file so this would be for a single member llc or if you are like wanting to do a partnership say you have yourself and someone else but you're you're going to be an llc taxed as a partnership not registered as a general partnership so there are some differences in that we recommend speaking with a cpa about that as far as what's best for your business but if you know what you want to do this is how you do it so online with the state of ohio it's very easy can take less than 10 minutes if that and what you will need is just a credit card debit card to it is 99 currently to file with the state for that registration so it is instant where you'll get notice there and they'll follow up with you as far as that but it's a very simple process so this is the overview the first step would be to go to the ohio secretary of state website for business filings we provide a link right here and you can do this again online you would go here you would say submit a business filing step one next is going to say to create a profile if you haven't create a profile of the secretary of state yet with ohio create one it's going to need your name you create a username password and e-signature you want to make sure you remember all of these the e-signature is usually four letters that you that you save one thing a quick plug for last pass last pass it's a secure password storage manager it's they do a free version or business version but what it will do is let you create a lot of complex passwords and save info like this using but then you have one master password for all your different things so it just allows you to diversify secure your things there but have a locally held encrypted master password to help save things there next screen you go to welcome screen here you're going to say i file new business or register name file new business register name big thing right here is a name search so if you haven't done a name search and you want to register an llc in ohio make sure you do that before you decide on your name for finally uh this happened to me when i a few years ago when i was creating an llc i did a name search it was in indiana at the time but there was another business with the name that i wanted so i had to adjust the name a little bit because i couldn't file under that same name in a similar industry sometimes states will differ as far as the industry that kind of thing in names the other thing i would do is just google the name that you want to use see if anyone else you in that industry is using the same name because then that just does create a little bit of confusion sometimes so you may want to look like same thing happened to me i changed my name a little bit too because i saw another online accounting business using a very similar name so i did have to change it a little bit so just thing to think through there before you decide but big you want to make sure you search to see if that name's available with the state so you can do that here and then you would hit begin filing once that's good so this is a drop down there's a lot of options here again this video is only for those who want to create who know they already want to create an llc in ohio whether that's a single member llc whether that's going to be taxed as a partnership but it is an llc and so on the drop down you would want to select limited liability company ohio there are other things to select like a partnership like those other types of corporations and structures but all we're dealing with is i want to be an llc i'm going to be a single member or i'm going to be llc taxed as a partnership this is what you would select you you can do regular processing there's expedited processing that happens faster most people don't need that unless you're in a bind and really need to get it done articles of organization is going to be your next step so you're going to put in the name you're going to also have to include a llc or limited liability company we just recommend putting llc at the end of whatever name you choose for purpose type for private nonprofit we're dealing with for-profit uh there are more explanations here again period of existence it says you don't have to enter anything we're not big on entering things we don't need to on registrations effective date you do have to enter so this would be like it could be today the day that you're filing or if say you want to start the legally start the business next year so you could put january 1 right as of this video next year would be january 1 2021 so you could do that where the business would take effect that day so you go here again purpose clause you don't have to put anything in here so we're big on just making it simple if you don't need to then if it's not required but you may want to just check again the the rules here uh with your specific situation next you're going to say add statutory agent that would be whoever's filing assuming you're filing for yourself for the business and so you would be the agent your address your city state zip code email you'd put that in so um and then i think you may have to sign right here digitally that it is you add attachments the next step um if there's any attachments that there shouldn't be with a llc any attachments you need to upload with this with the state if you're again registering as an individual not like another corporation registering another llc that's a different process so then you would go into this authorize it's you're just going to review everything authorize it and then you could put your name here you don't need to put buy if applicable so i would just sign the authorized member manager other representative cannot be the new limited liability company but created so you want to type your name here and i don't you don't really need to put by as you go so then you hit save and continue you're going to that's going to take you to review take you to you're going to look over it review it and then also take you to the payment page once you do that that's where you would it would take you to the just that you've completed it it should give you a letter there or a in process thing there and they've got your email so you you would get all the communication there so it really can take five to ten minutes to do this it's very simple process to start a business ninety nine dollars is to do it yourself just the filing fee you pay the state and then you're set to go as far as being registered in the state of ohio all right we have additional uh resources you know if you

Thanks for your comment Bruno Loverich, have a nice day.
- Judi Hughson, Staff Member

do you have an idea for a product or service or just want to be your own boss doing something you love starting your business is both an exciting and overwhelming time but i'm here to help you with the first few steps the ohio secretary of state's office and our ohio business central website also serve to help ohioans navigate the process and start you on the right path to becoming successful business owners let's get started one of the first and most important decisions you must make as an entrepreneur is selecting the legal structure of your business this decision determines how you pay taxes how you operate your business and your level of risk for personal liability although you may wish to seek the advice of an attorney or an accountant when making some decisions we can connect you to valuable resources to assist you with this process the most common structures of business entities are the sole proprietorship partnership limited liability company and corporation it is important to select the right structure to meet your needs you can find descriptions of each entity on our website and determine what fits your business or simply give us a call with any questions i'll list our number and email at the end of this video after determining the best business structure the next step is to select a business name unfortunately many people get excited about their idea and choose a business name and order marketing materials before determining if the name is available for use in ohio a proposed business name must be distinguishable from other business names registered with the secretary of state our business search system on our website allows you to check to see if the name you want to use is available our team can assist you with a search as well when filing a business such as a corporation or a limited liability company the form will request the name of your business and upon approval of this formation document your business name is protected however you may want to use other variations of your business name so there will be an additional filing requirement to register additional names for example if you register a corporation and the business is named joe's sandwich shop inc but you only plan to use joe's sandwich shop on your sign then you must also register joe's sandwich shop as a trade name or a fictitious name also you might want to have a food truck if you call the food truck joe's sandwich truck then that's a name that must be registered by the corporation a trade name registration is 39 and it protects the business name for five years and can be renewed as part of the process of forming a business entity most must select a statutory agent the statutory agent must be a resident of ohio or any business entity with an address in ohio although you can appoint a law firm or a service company as your statutory agent an entity can act as their own statutory agent as long as it has an address in ohio a statutory agent agrees to accept legal mail and official notices on behalf of the business this is also the address used by our office for any official communications to the business at this point you've done a lot of the busy work you selected your business structure you picked your business name and check to make sure it's available for use in ohio and selected a statutory agent you're ready to submit your filing and get to work although you can print a form from our website and mail it to our office over ninety percent of business filings are submitted online at ohiobusinesscentral.gov you can create a profile login and select file a new business or register a name from this menu select the business structure you picked and the system will guide you through the process there are options for ohio and non-ohio entities in this menu most ohioans pick ohio entity which is a domestic entity being formed in ohio for the first time when you select your filing type such as limited liability company ohio you can start the process by searching the business name to ensure it's available but you may select begin filing if you already verified the name is available an asterisk will indicate the required fields for a limited liability company you only be required to enter the name of the entity the statutory agent's name and address and the name of the person or entity authorizing the formation of the business there is an option to upload an attachment but no other documents are required to be submitted with this filing although you may have an operating agreement prepared this is not a document you need to submit to our office after you complete the required fields please review the filing document by viewing the pdf that is generated if everything looks good close the pdf and complete our survey to share additional information with our office about you and your business this is important because we can connect you to resources available for your specific needs if we know more about you such as minority or veteran ownership after the survey scroll down to the bottom of the screen and select verify for checkout and you're ready to move the filing to your cart for checkout filing fees can be paid with any major credit card and your approval certificate will be emailed to you within just a couple of days after your filing has been approved your business will appear as an active entity when searched on our business search system if you ever need a certificate of good standing in case it is requested by another business or another state you may download this document from our website for five dollars i bring this up because you may receive a letter from a private company offering to obtain the certificate for you but the cost is much higher than simply getting it from our website as a business owner you should be on the lookout for possible scams like this and if you ever have questions give us a call business identity theft is as much of a risk as personal identity theft when you file a document through our online portal you're automatically signed up for our free business filing notification system that allows you to track any changes and updates to your business record if you receive a notification of a change to your business record and you did not authorize the change please contact us immediately once you register your new business our office will include a checklist with your approval certificate to highlight a few of your next steps in starting your business for example with an active registration you can open a business bank account next you may need to contact the irs for an ein or employee identification number and register with the ohio department of taxation additional actions are needed if you plan to hire employees such as contacting the ohio new hire reporting center the ohio bureau of workers compensation and the ohio department of job and family services depending on your industry there may also be additional licenses and permits required this information can be found and sorted by industry type on the ohio business central page finally all businesses must file an annual report of unclaimed funds with the ohio department of commerce co

Thanks Colby your participation is very much appreciated
- Judi Hughson

About the author

Judi Hughson

I've studied higher education at Arcadia University in Glenside and I am an expert in plant science (outline). I usually feel guilty. My previous job was economics professor I held this position for 28 years, I love talking about jigsaw puzzles and airsofting. Huge fan of Henry Cavill I practice laser tag and collect cracker jack prizes.